Ask Nigel a question

[gshaw]

Nigel, can you buy an effin goalkeeper please

And put whoever picked him on a written warning

[Brigs]

Nigel,
Can you buy one of these & give it to you know who

https://www.lner.co.uk/buy-tickets/booking-engine/

Still time Nigel

[Long slender neck]

Anyone go then?

[gshaw]

Anyone go then?

Saw a bit on a video call, Nigel getting a fair bit of stick about the bar, EFL deal and came across quite blunt with his "in America they do it like this..." standpoint

[The Reverend]

Anyone go then?

Saw a bit on a video call, Nigel getting a fair bit of stick about the bar, EFL deal and came across quite blunt with his "in America they do it like this..." standpoint

In America they sell guns in supermarkets and convinctec felons stand for Presidential elections. I don’t think following our Yankee Doodle cousins is a sensible benchmark for anything.

[Rich Tea Wellin]

Nigel seems more and more detached from England and how things actually work here

[gshaw]

Nigel seems more and more detached from England and how things actually work here

Wonder if he's in favour of a franchise model with no promotion and relegation too?!

[Long slender neck]

[gshaw]

So the comments under that post seem to be relating to a question about whether NT has taken the club as far as he can.

Given Nigel has spoken about footing the £4 million loss it's a fair question given the losses are unlikely to change significantly in the short term unless we get an incredible fee for one of our players (which looks unlikely)

From what I could hear on the video call getting more investment (sale?) rests on getting a confirmed site for a new ground. Based on that it doesn't seem beyond the realms of possibility he's trying to minimise the losses in the interim before he can move the club onto the next set of owners / investors.

[RedDwarf 1881]

So the comments under that post seem to be relating to a question about whether NT has taken the club as far as he can.

Given Nigel has spoken about footing the £4 million loss it's a fair question given the losses are unlikely to change significantly in the short term unless we get an incredible fee for one of our players (which looks unlikely)

From what I could hear on the video call getting more investment (sale?) rests on getting a confirmed site for a new ground. Based on that it doesn't seem beyond the realms of possibility he's trying to minimise the losses in the interim before he can move the club onto the next set of owners / investors.

I thought moving ground was about ten years away . Sounds like we're going to need to move sooner than that .

[gshaw]

So the comments under that post seem to be relating to a question about whether NT has taken the club as far as he can.

Given Nigel has spoken about footing the £4 million loss it's a fair question given the losses are unlikely to change significantly in the short term unless we get an incredible fee for one of our players (which looks unlikely)

From what I could hear on the video call getting more investment (sale?) rests on getting a confirmed site for a new ground. Based on that it doesn't seem beyond the realms of possibility he's trying to minimise the losses in the interim before he can move the club onto the next set of owners / investors.

I thought moving ground was about ten years away . Sounds like we're going to need to move sooner than that .

He said it will take time, they haven't even got to the point of finding a confirmed site yet let alone raised the investment or any thoughts of building.

It all begs the question how does he make the numbers add up in the meantime, which was the question I submitted but it appears anything sent via the website was ignored as I'm told only audience ones in person were answered?

[Story of O]

Trouble is, if low investment in the squad continues you will lose fans and there will be no need for a bigger stadium.

[MassiveForehead]

Trouble is, if low investment in the squad continues you will lose fans and there will be no need for a bigger stadium.

Wasn't this the double edged sword people were expecting? We had a surge of fans turn up post COVID because people could go to games again, and then we were quite successful in that period. Once we become less successful (and a relegation isn't out of the possibilities in that), how long before that crowd goes I'm not paying X to watch substandard football.

[o-no]

I don't understand particularly why getting new investment depends on having a new ground. It's evident we can't fill the ground we have now, and well documented that teams at the very top don't even need a large ground - the portion of income derived from attendance alone is minimal. The problem for Nigel is we are at a level where losses are (hopefully) sustainable, but losses at Championship level could be catastrophic - however you don't reach the ultimate pot of gold without traversing the Championship.

For 'the investors' the best hope of return lies in establishing the club at this level and then convincing some obscenely rich whale or national investment fund that they can take it to the next one - that's the only road to payback I can see. A new ground might help, but could equally be an albatross around our neck for the foreseeable.

What we definitely don't want is the current regime to tighten the purse strings so much that we can't even be competitive in League 1. I don't care if the players we sign aren't 'exciting', but they need to be capable at this level. The current leaning towards loanees, kids and expensive matchday tickets makes me wonder if the ambition for the club has changed as financial realities kick in.

[PoundhillO]

Trouble is, if low investment in the squad continues you will lose fans and there will be no need for a bigger stadium.

Spot on !!

[PoundhillO]

I don't understand particularly why getting new investment depends on having a new ground. It's evident we can't fill the ground we have now, and well documented that teams at the very top don't even need a large ground - the portion of income derived from attendance alone is minimal. The problem for Nigel is we are at a level where losses are (hopefully) sustainable, but losses at Championship level could be catastrophic - however you don't reach the ultimate pot of gold without traversing the Championship.

For 'the investors' the best hope of return lies in establishing the club at this level and then convincing some obscenely rich whale or national investment fund that they can take it to the next one - that's the only road to payback I can see. A new ground might help, but could equally be an albatross around our neck for the foreseeable.

What we definitely don't want is the current regime to tighten the purse strings so much that we can't even be competitive in League 1. I don't care if the players we sign aren't 'exciting', but they need to be capable at this level. The current leaning towards loanees, kids and expensive matchday tickets makes me wonder if the ambition for the club has changed as financial realities kick in.

Totally agree.

[Mistadobalina]

There isn't a limitless list of millionaires and billionaires we can just tap up for tens or hundreds of millions of pounds. Last time we had an owner who went about finding someone who said they would provide that sort of money, we were nearly bankrupt within 3 years. Going about this in a considered, careful way was always going to be how Travis and Co were going to approach it. They will know better than anyone the risk of bringing in the wrong people.

Can criticise how we use the resources we have, but fact it, we are already spending well beyond our means. I don't remember fans being this tetchy about our limits as a small club last time we were at this level and find it puzzling at the shortness of some people's memories. Making sure the club is sustainable, well run and has a clear plan for growth is way more important than taking massive short term risks that could amount to nothing.

[o-no]

There isn't a limitless list of millionaires and billionaires we can just tap up for tens or hundreds of millions of pounds. Last time we had an owner who went about finding someone who said they would provide that sort of money, we were nearly bankrupt within 3 years. Going about this in a considered, careful way was always going to be how Travis and Co were going to approach it. They will know better than anyone the risk of bringing in the wrong people.

Can criticise how we use the resources we have, but fact it, we are already spending well beyond our means. I don't remember fans being this tetchy about our limits as a small club last time we were at this level and find it puzzling at the shortness of some people's memories. Making sure the club is sustainable, well run and has a clear plan for growth is way more important than taking massive short term risks that could amount to nothing.

Understood. And you're right to point out that you take a chance with any new buyer (not that I believe for one minute that Hearn did any due diligence whatsoever on you-know-who). But perhaps we can agree that spending sufficient to remain in League 1 is the absolute minimum we need, but there are signs - which perhaps we're misreading I know - that even this is a challenge.

[Fellowo]

Regarding a new ground, from what I've read and heard, it's not so much about filling the ground, but more about the facilities that can be built. For instance, there being a hotel.

[Lifelongfan]

Anything else said by Nigel?

[Mistadobalina]

We've played 3 of the biggest clubs at this level and been edged out of each game by keeper errors. That suggests a problem of fine margins and that we may have fluffed recruitment in that position - which is always a risk in football. Think you can fairly criticize the recruitment of certain players after more than a handful of games, but seeing a difficult start in our second season up in a division as proof that we have some massive structural problem and need to be losing 5-6m a year instead of the current 3-4, is massively reactionary.

Still think the basic set up remains positive, we have a fantastic manager, a core of very good players who will continue to improve and owners who are thinking about what sustainable growth looks like, rather than a reckless dash for the championship where they know they can't afford the scale of losses we'd currently need to make.

If you read the Brum forum, their fans are saying we're the best team we've played in an admittedly very short season so far. People need to keep a sense of perspective.

[Story of O]

The only question for me is why have we signed loan keepers for the past two seasons. Were there no better options available?

[Max B Gold]

We've played 3 of the biggest clubs at this level and been edged out of each game by keeper errors. That suggests a problem of fine margins and that we may have fluffed recruitment in that position - which is always a risk in football. Think you can fairly criticize the recruitment of certain players after more than a handful of games, but seeing a difficult start in our second season up in a division as proof that we have some massive structural problem and need to be losing 5-6m a year instead of the current 3-4, is massively reactionary.

Still think the basic set up remains positive, we have a fantastic manager, a core of very good players who will continue to improve and owners who are thinking about what sustainable growth looks like, rather than a reckless dash for the championship where they know they can't afford the scale of losses we'd currently need to make.

If you read the Brum forum, their fans are saying we're the best team we've played in an admittedly very short season so far. People need to keep a sense of perspective.

The current level of losses is not sustainable either. At some point the money runs out. The club is in an impossible position and it's difficult to see how further "investment" can be secured.

[Mistadobalina]

I agree. We're in both the bottom half of our league for financial sustainability in the fair game index review that was done recently. Securing a site and funding for a new stadium will be one of the most important moments in the clubs history if we're to grow in a healthy way. I have no idea how these owners do that and is one of the worst parts of Hearn's legacy - we have no assets and therefore no starting capital to get a new ground going. Would all be from scratch.

[aylesburyos]

Was anyone there to advise what was said?